Ivan Bratko

About

Ivan Bratko is a pioneering researcher whose work spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and educational technology — a breadth that reflects decades of intellectual curiosity and scientific rigor. Among his most influential contributions is his early foundational work on AI and robotics, dating back to 1987, which critically examined the integration of AI techniques in robotic systems and highlighted the challenges of moving beyond isolated task performance toward flexible, unified architectures. His subsequent research advanced machine learning applications in autonomous robot discovery, exploring how robots can independently extract physical laws from experimentation — work that drew on Inductive Logic Programming and garnered significant scholarly attention. Bratko also made notable strides in multi-agent strategic modeling within robotic soccer domains and developed hybrid qualitative-quantitative planning methods for online learning of robotic behaviors. More recently, his research has turned toward social robotics in education, with two 2021 papers collectively accumulating over 80 citations, investigating pre-service teachers' attitudes and concerns about deploying humanoid robots in classrooms. This work has shaped important conversations about technology integration in teacher education. Across more than three decades, Bratko's contributions have influenced both the technical foundations of intelligent robotics and the emerging field of human-robot interaction in learning environments.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Are pre‐service teachers disinclined to utilise embodied humanoid social robots in the classroom?

   57 citations · 2021
2. 2
   An Experiment in Robot Discovery with ILP

   27 citations · 2008
3. 3
   Pre-service teachers’ concerns about social robots in the classroom: A model for development

   25 citations · 2021
4. 4
   Multi-agent strategic modeling in a robotic soccer domain

   21 citations · 2006
5. 5
   AI and Robotics; Flexibility and Integration

   21 citations · 1987
6. 6
   An assessment of machine learning methods for robotic discovery

   7 citations · 2008
7. 7
   Robot <scp>NAO</scp> integrated lesson vs. traditional lesson: Measuring learning outcomes on the topic of “societal change” and the mediating effect of students' attitudes

   6 citations · 2024
8. 8
   A Machine Learning System for Controlling a Rescue Robot

   6 citations · 2018
9. 9
   Qualitative Planning with Quantitative Constraints for Online Learning of Robotic Behaviours

   6 citations · 2014
10. 10
    Learning to Control a Quadcopter Qualitatively

    6 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links